Current techniques for providing artificial limbs or braces involve using stainless steel, carbon fiber laminate and composites, or semi-rigid polymers to replace the anatomic appendage. These conventional artificial limbs are extremely stiff and do not provide a broad range of dynamic response to the user during movement of the artificial limb. As such, conventional artificial limbs limit the normal degree of bending, shock absorption, rotation, and force exerted upon movement of the artificial appendage.
Conventional brace configurations incorporate stainless steel, or other solid metal or alloy bar attached to the brace and incorporating a hinge to enable movement of the bar about the joint. These current braces are typically bulky, heavy, and severely limit any motion of the anatomy—thus they do not restore near-normal performance of the appendage. In addition they greatly inhibit the rotation, bending, or other motion that inherently produces an applied force and elicits a desired response (e.g., standing, walking, running, hitting, throwing, or other activity).
A need thus exists for artificial limbs and braces that incorporate superelastic supports capable of being deflected a predetermined amount in response to an external force and exert an opposing force in response to the deflection. As such these artificial limbs and braces help to restore motion of the anatomy despite loss of limb functionality. The artificial limbs and braces also reinforce the anatomic structures, and prevent excess twisting, bending, or other motion capable of resulting in injury. In addition there is a need for artificial limbs and braces that provide a predetermined resistance to motion so as to gradually restore motion to the nonfunctional limb, and stabilize or strengthen anatomic structures during rehabilitation or training processes.